13 Mar Creditor Harassment May Not Stop After Bankruptcy, So Be Prepared

When a person files for bankruptcy protection, the Bankruptcy Code forces all collection activities to stop immediately – that includes phone calls, letters, lawsuits, income executions (wage garnishees) and bank account restraints. It’s the rule, and it’s there to protect you.

But sometimes creditors get overzealous and try to squeeze one last dollar out of you. So they call again after the bankruptcy. Worse still, they may actually sell your debt to another company and let them try to collect after your case is over. Over the Bankruptcy Law Network, Oregon bankruptcy attorney Karen Oakes has detailed some of this in a recent article about collection calls after bankruptcy.

If you’re still being hounded by collectors after your bankruptcy case, take action – call a lawyer to discuss your rights. Violations of the bankruptcy laws may be punishable by forcing the creditor to pay you money damages as well as your attorney’s legal fees.

Jay S. Fleischman is a bankruptcy lawyer with offices in Los Angeles and New York. He can often be found on Google+ and Twitter, where he shares information about consumer protection issues and personal finance.